Nedra eBook

There was nothing for me to do, try as I would to find
a place. It was a hard pill to swallow, after
four years of the kind of work I had done in college,
but I had to throw every plan to the winds and go
to the Philippines. My uncle, who is rich, sent
me money enough to prepare for the voyage, and here
I am, sneaking off to the jungles, disgusted, discouraged
and disappointed. To-night I sit before you with
less than one hundred dollars as the sum total of my
earthly possessions.”

“By George, Veath, just let me know how much
you need—­” broke in Hugh warmly,
but the other silenced him, smiling sadly.

“I’m greatly obliged to you, but I don’t
believe it is money that I want now—­at
least, not borrowed money. When you told me that
your sister was to become a missionary, I inferred
that you were not burdened with worldly goods, and
I felt at home with you both—­more so than
I should, I believe—­”

“Oh, the devil!”

“But a few days ago your sister told me that
she is not to be a missionary and that she is rich
enough to make this trip to the Orient for mere pleasure—­oh,
well, you know better than I how rich you both are.”
His voice was low and unsteady. “I don’t
know why you should have told me that she—­she
was to be a missionary.”

“It was—­I did it for a little joke
on her, honestly I did,” mumbled Hugh.

“And it was a serious one for me. Before
I knew of her real position she seemed more approachable
to me, more as if I could claim her friendship on
the grounds of mutual sympathy. I was deceived
into believing our lots not vastly unequal, and I
have suffered more than I can tell you by the disparity
which I now know exists.”

“But what difference can it make whether we
are rich or poor? We can still be friends,”
said Hugh eagerly.

“It was when I believed your sister to be a
missionary that I learned to love her better than
all else in this world. Now do you understand?”

“Great Scott!” gasped his listener, starting
from his chair. Now he realised that she had
not been mistaken in her fears. “Does she
know this?” he managed to ask.

“No, and I dare not tell her—­I cannot.
I had to tell some one, and to whom should I confess
it if not to the brother of the woman I love?
It is no disgrace, no dishonor to her. You cannot
blame me for being honest with you. Some day
after you have gone back to America you can tell her
that I love her and always will. She has intimated
to me that she is to marry another man, so what chance
is there for a poor wretch like me? I don’t
see how I have endured the awakening from the dreams
I have had. I even went so far as to imagine
a little home in Manila, after I had won her from
the mission field and after I had laid by the savings
of a year or two. I had planned to fairly starve
myself that I might save enough to make a home for
her and—­and—­” but he could
say no more. Hugh heard the sob and turned sick
at heart. To what a pass their elopement had
come!